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| Brant Hurter, Jr. (L/L) Out for all of last season due to Tommy John surgery, the reports, both from national media and from sources close to the program, have been STRONG. With Hughes off to Major League Baseball, there were some questions originally about who would fill in his role. Hurter has the ability to do that and more, and will likely be the Friday night ace this team needs throughout the season. |
| Curt Roedig, Soph. (R/R) 1-2, 4.34 ERA, 18.2 IP, 23 K, 12 BB in four appearances. The team's returning leader in regards to strikeouts, Roedig's ability to miss bats is what makes him special. Combining that with improved velocity (upper-90s) and his unique delivery, Roedig could be a breakout candidate this season, and is sure to not repeat the 4.34 ERA from last season. |
| Zach Maxwell, Fr. (R/R) 1-1, 3.14 ERA, 14.1 IP, 20 K, 16 BB in 4 appearances. Maxwell's stuff doesn't get questioned often, but the walk numbers last season were alarmingly high. If he is able to gain better command of the strike zone and limit the walks, he could easily find himself on an All-ACC list, either as a starter or closer. |
| Luke Bartnicki, Soph. (L/L) 0-0, 1.76 ERA, 15.1 IP, 17 K, 9 BB in 4 appearances incl. 3 starts. Bartnicki came to Atlanta with a ton of hype surrounding him, and could very easily end up in the weekend rotation. His velocity isn't overwhelming by any means (low-90s) but from a numbers standpoint it cannot be overstated how many groundouts he has produced in the last two seasons. |
| Marquis Grissom Jr., Fr. (R/R) The name alone should be enough, but the reports on Grissom Jr. since arriving in Atlanta have been extremely complimentary. He, like Parada and DeLeo, would not typically be on a college campus if the draft had been at its normal length. Slotting him into a mid-week spot feels like a bit of a gamble, as he could honestly end up in the field, or even bump one of the weekend starters to the pen. Grissom has worked countless hours with pitching coach Danny Borrell. |
| Dalton Smith, Fr. (R/L) 3-0, 1.46 ERA, 12.1 IP, 14 K, 6 BB in 6 appearances. Smith is one of a large number of "freshmen" that are second year players on this list. He may also turn out to be one of the best. While his fastball velocity isn't going to wow scouts or hitters, his changeup has continued to develop. |
| Jackson Finley, Fr. (R/R) 1-1, 9.00 ERA, 9.0 IP, 15 K, 3 BB in 7 appearances incl. 1 start. Finley showcased his stuff in the shortened 2020 season, and with a 5-1 K/BB ratio, will get his chances again in 2021. Curveball has developed last several months. |
| Chance Huff, Soph. (R/R) Reports have been strong on Huff's performance since transferring in from Vanderbilt. With the ability to get into the upper-90s and what sounds like a four-pitch mix, Huff could find his way into the back-half of the bullpen quickly. |
| Joseph Mannelly, RS Soph. (L/L) Mannelly did not play during the 2020 season, and has struggled to stay healthy the last two seasons. He will get his chances this season, granted he is able to stay away from injuries. |
| Sam Crawford, RS Soph. (L/L) 2-0, 1.86 ERA, 9.2 IP, 14 K, 6 BB in 8 appearances. Crawford surprised many with his performance in 2020, and has continued that momentum both in the fall and thus far in the spring. |
| Austin Wilhite, Sr. (R/R) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 IP, 3 K, 1 BB in 3 appearances. Also had a .229/.325/.371 line in 12 games with 1 HR, 3 RBI. Has the ability to play either in the field or pitch, particularly if Jadyn Jackson struggles to get going. Has the ability to eat innings like few others on the staff. |
| Andy Archer, RS Jr. (R/R) 0-0, 4.22 ERA, 10.2 IP, 16 K, 5 BB, 2 SV in 4 appearances. Archer comes into the 2021 season as the most likely candidate to close after stepping into the role at times in 2020. It would not surprise if Archer and Maxwell end up in opposite places, though with Archer's injury history the bullpen could be the better fit. |
